SALT LAKE CITY — The silver rings dangled from the neck of an expressionless mannequin.
Plain and silver, they would be as easily overlooked as the blank face if it weren't for the handwritten note that accompanied them.
"Each of these three rings represents someone close to me affected by cancer: myself, my father and my grandfather," the note read. "I lost my grandfather years ago, but my dad and I both beat it. I now want to pass this 'good luck charm' on to someone who may need it."
The item is just one of dozens that make up eBay It Forward, a project running during the three-day EVE celebration in downtown Salt Lake City. The donated objects and their stories will be auctioned off online, and all proceeds will go to Family Promise, a Salt Lake charity that helps families affected by homelessness.
"I love it," said J.D. Norton, eBay's events and rewards specialist. "It's a great project to bring the community together. Regardless of our differences, these stories tie us together as a community. I think people see we've had a tough 2009, but these are all things that helped get us through."
Donations can be dropped off from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday in the Union Pacific Depot's Grand Hall at The Gateway. The eBay staff will then sell the items.
Among the items on display this week were a pair of black, high-heeled shoes.
"These shoes were given to me after my engagement was called off. Needless to say, it was a difficult time," the note read. "I am donating these shoes so someone else can 'stand a little taller' and know they can make it through whatever hard times they are going through. You can do it! You can persevere and come out on top."
There was a pair of silver flats that had been worn by a woman who worked as Cinderella at Disneyland. There was a tattered Mickey Mouse doll that had been found in a box after a dear uncle's funeral. A pair of white, size-12 shoes were given to man who never had a chance to wear them before his father died.
There was a pair of blue jeans worn the day one man finally asked his sweetheart to marry him. A lucky T-shirt was worn the day another man met his wife.
There was a small bottle of perfume, a rare bright spot for someone during an eight-month bout of a depression. A foul ball with a scuff mark reminded a father of the time he has spent with his wife and children.
On one of the shelves, a Huckleberry Hound figurine sat in its package.
The note said: "2009 ends the worst decade ever! The most important lesson I learned is to surround yourself with things that make you smile. They will get you through the tough times. How can you watch old cartoons and not smile?"
e-mail: afalk@desnews.com